100 Years of Japanese Women's Hair & Makeup

Cut’s "100 Years of..." video series is not only incredibly popular, it’s also downright fascinating. Even if you’re not a huge history buff, it’s amazing to see how fashion has changed over the years—and to try to imagine all the social, cultural, and economic influences behind each variation. Their women’s fashion videos have spanned the globe, and it’s finally Japan’s turn to step in front of the camera!

Mei Kurahashi, the model in the video, is an artist and actor currently living in Seattle who was born and raised in Japan, making her an excellent candidate to demonstrate some of Japan’s most popular looks of the last century!

Toward the end, the video offers multiple fashions for each decade, including the look of the ganguro and other alternative styles popular during their time. Keep an eye out for the pink backgrounds that indicate those less mainstream (but still popular) styles!

Cut also released a research video with information about all the fashion, makeup and hairstyles above, providing some helpful historical context. Not every look was necessarily commonly worn by women of each decade, but there’s little doubt that each style had a big impact culturally.